How Long is a LPN / LVN Program

Choosing to enroll in an licensed practical nurse program (LPN programs) is a great choice for anyone that’s ever been interested in a solid career. At this point in our economic decline, there still remains a high demand for professionals in the nursing industry. Settling for a thankless, low-paying job may suffice for a time, but will rarely allow you to advance in your field in order to build a better future for yourself. If you have ever felt the desire to realize your philanthropic potential and are looking for a stable career, LPN programs may be the perfect thing for you.

People are needed in this field for a number of reasons. Patients often need twenty four hour care and this creates a large need for qualified personnel because these are services that every person will need during their lives. The certificate is something almost anybody has the opportunity to get if they are willing to put in a relatively short amount of time and commitment. With our aging and growing population, getting a LPN/LVN certificate in a matter of months and then tripling your pay will be a great investment in yourself and your career.

The Benefits of Becoming a LPN

There are many benefits to becoming a licensed nursing professional:

Career attributes: The most obvious of these are career stability, a good income and working in an environment where you get paid to help people.

Future career advancement: Aside from career stability, an LPN program gets you well on your way to an associate’s degree in nursing. This is what is needed to become a Registered Nurse or an RN. It is a field that can easily accommodate aspirations of advancing and growing while continuing to learn. This in turn can provide you with the ability to work in many more different places which can offer a lot of flexibility and even higher pay.

Salary: A nursing professional can expect to make up to $50,000 per year and receive great healthcare benefits.

Flexibility: A nursing career is also a good way to be able to fit your job around a specific schedule. If you have children, you can be there with your kids and raise them during the most important years of their lives while maintaining the ultimate flexible schedule of working weekdays, weeknights or weekends. This allows you to have a high paying career while being the best parent you can be.

All this sound good to you? Find out more about 100% online LVN programs or flexible on-campus programs, along with financial aid options, with our School finder.

What is an LPN?

LPN stands for Licensed Practical Nurse. It is also known as Licensed Vocational Nurse or LVN by some states such a Texas and California. It is a certificate one can earn in about a 12 to 18 months, on average. The program for the certificate will prepare you to be able to work as a nurse in one of many possible establishments without being a registered nurse. In the certification program, you can expect to learn the many aspects of nursing ranging from the informational to the practical. Topics will cover the areas of surgical, obstetric and pediatric nursing.

A student enrolled in an LPN program can also expect to learn their way around nutrition, emergency care, anatomy and physiology. The program will lean heavily on the subjects of chemistry, math and science. An LPN works directly under the supervision of a doctor or a registered nurse, as well as directly with the patients. The basic functions of an LPN include observing patients to be able to report abnormalities in their conditions. They are also in charge of taking blood pressure, performing routine laboratory tests, recording fluid intake and feeding patients.

LPN Schools and What to Look For

In order to become an LPN, you need to have a high school diploma. Once you have decided to go for your LPN, enrolling in a program is the next step. LPN schools are easy to find, especially with our simple School Finder featured on this website. LPN programsexist in both technical and vocational schools, a list of which can be found online.

When choosing a school, consider your schedule and transportation options as many classes are offered online as well. Both options provide their students with a highly flexible schedule including night and weekend classes to allow the student to work and get their license without having to quit their job to do it. Though the price of getting this certification is often cheaper than many others, it is still worth it to do your research and find the right price for you. It may be worth it to pay the additional money and get your degree from a school which has been NLN accredited. This will help give you the edge when looking for employment as some hospitals will only take employees who have obtained their certification from an NLN school.

An important thing to look out for and try to avoid is a LPN program that will claim to get you licensed in a suspiciously short amount of time. Make sure that the school you are getting certified at has been accredited by your state’s Board of Nursing. It is also good to see how easily credits can transfer from and to the school of your choice. Upon completing the LPN program, the student has to pass a state administered nursing exam called NCLEX-PN to be able to get a job in the field.

Financial aid is available for qualified students, so an expensive school program may be provided to you for free!

The Skills Required

An LPN program holds great potential for a promising career in the medical field, but is not for everybody. Working directly with patients can be very difficult and frustrating at times, so it’s good to make sure that a basic desire to be in the care-giving industry is in place before you choose to become an LPN. People best suited for this should be able to keep their calm in stressful conditions, have exceptional communication skills and have the ability to act quickly in an emergency situation. This is also an ideal job for sympathetic people who love working with others. If this sounds like you, an LPN program will quickly have you working a rewarding job in nursing homes, schools, hospitals or long-term care facilities.

CNA Training Classes:
A list of cna classes in in each state., Sign up for an information packet from school closest to you! cnaschool.co